Hollow packing ring for pistons



Dec. 31, 1929. c RAULE 1,741,436

HOLLOW PACKING RING FOR PISTONS Filed April 21, 1925 J .10. Q I 1 Z7 3 WJffiaak Patented Dec. 31, 1929 PATENT OFFICE CLIFFORD 'I. BATTLE, .OFBROOKLINE, PENNSYLVANIA HOLLOW PACKING RING FOR PISTONS Applicationfiled April 21,

My invention relates to piston rings to prevent leakage past pistons incylinder engines. The main object of my invention is to make a hollowring of pressed or spun metal that will at once adequately meet therequirements of service and be easy-to manufacture, low

in cost and easy to install.

A further object is to provide a hollow, one-piece, pressed or spunmetal ring with a solid insert joint that will not leak.

A further object is to provide a ring that during the explosion or highpressure period within the cylinder will fit more snugly within itsgroove around the piston by reason of 5 the higher pressure causing alateral outward expansion of the ring.

A further objectis to provide a ring that during the explosion or highpressure period within the cylinder will fit more snugly against thecylinder Wall, byreason of the higher pressure causing a radialexpansion of the ring.

' A further object is to provide a ring that will also be a reservoirfor oil and thereby serve to increase the efficiency with which thecylinder surface is oiled.

A further object is to provide a ring adapted to leave oil on thecylinder wall during the up or forward stroke of the piston and togather oil from the cylinder wall on the down or return stroke, therebyresulting in more eflicient and more economic oiling.

A further object is to provide a one-piece ring more easy put in placethan the usual 5 solid ring, being less stiff, and at the same timebetter adapted to meet the conditions of actual service in that itscontact pressure against the cylinder wall automatically adjust-s itselfto existing need, varying automatically with the existing pressure, andin that further it is more locally resilient and thus better able toadjust itself to contact with the cylinder in local irregularities ofthe cylinder surface.

A further object is to provide a ring that is at once lighter, cheaper,easier to make, easier to put in place and more eflicient in operationthan existing rings.

Further objects will appear in the specification and claims.

1923. Serial No. 633,584.

In illustrating my invention I have preferred to show one main form withseveral modifications, selecting a form that well illustrates myinvention and which at the same time is easy to make,.practical andhighly efficient.

Figure 1 is a broken section through a cylinder and piston with my ringsin position.

Figure 2 is an enlarged broken section showing my ring in place.

' Figures 3 to 8 are views similar to Figure 2 and show modified forms.

Figure 9, Figure 10 and Figure 11 illustrate different forms of jointbetween the ends of the ring.

. In the drawings similar numerals indicate like parts, and thedescription following is in illustration, not in limitation.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, 15 is the cylinder- Wall in brokensection, 16 is the piston, grooved for rings at 17, with hearing forconnecting rod at 18; 19 and 20 are my piston rings shown in place insectional contour. This contour is such as to adapt it tofit'rectangul'ar grooves of the piston with the outer face slightlyflaring to contact along one edge with the cylinder wall and formincomplete closure of the contour to leave a circumferential openinginto the interior of the ring, with the result that this interior fillswith oil andkeeps thering cool. The ring is reversible within the pistongroove so that the flare of the outer side may be in either directionlongitudinally of the cylinder, and the rings in the upper and lowergrooves of the piston preferably are turned different ways, the flareand opening into the interior of the rings being in reverse direction'inthe upper and lower rings.

Thus in Figure l, the Hare and opening into the interior of the ring isupward in the upper rings, an arrangement that makes pressure within thering responsive to the fluctuating pressure of the cylinder, and thecontact pressure of the bearing edge against 95 the cylinder wallautomatically adjusts itself to existing need, increasing when thecylinder pressure and the consequent tendenc to leak increases anddiminishing when this pressure and the consequent tendency to leak 100diminishes. Incidentally, the ring fills with oil and this reservoir ofoil is of material assistance in keepin the ring cool, as it cannotoverheat until a l of the oil in this reservoir has volatilized.

With the lower ring, the flare and opening into the interior, ofthe-ring is downward, the arrangement being one in which the reservoirgathers oil on the down stroke and distributes it around-the cylinderwall on the up stroke, thereby giving simultaneously greater efficiencyand greater economy in the use of oil.

The flaring face 21 bearing against the cylinder wall circumferentiallyalong one edge is locally resilient and thus able to adapt itself tolocal irregularities of the cylinder surface to an extent that ismaterially greater than is possible with solid rings. The sides 22, 23,and inner wall are here straight.

In the form shown iii Figure 3, the inner side 24 of the ring is madecurved instead of substantially straight as in Figures 1 and 2;otherwise it is the same. This makes a ring slightly lighter butwithprincipal characteristics as already described.

The form of Figure 4 is like that in Figure 2 except that there are twoflaring faces, 21, one from each side, and two edges of contact with thecylinder wall. While this form is less locally resilient and lessresponsive to adjust its contact pressure against the cylinder wall withvariation in existing need as determined by variation in cylinderpressure, it has the advantage of contact with the cylinder wall alongtwo edges instead of one.

In Figures 5 to 8 are shown forms with no outer opening into the annularinterior of the ring. In Figure 5 the inner wall 24,- is interrupted. InFigure 6 the division takes place at the inner edge of one of the sides.In Figure 7 the outer or front face 21 is at an angle to the axis of thering and engages chiefly at the edge 25.

In Figure 8 the tube is closed.

In Figure 9 the two mating ends of a ring are shown in which the innerwall of the left end and the outer wall of the right end are cut away at26, 26 respectively to receive extensions of the inner wall at 27 and ofthe outer wall at 27' respectively upon the right and left ends of thering. The side walls terminate at 28 even with plug inserts 29, 29 heldin place by rivets 30. filling the interiors of the ends to shut offleakage across the otherwise hollow ring ends.

Instead of having the inner and outer walls cut all the way across atone end and extending in full width at the other end to fill the space,either or'each of these cuts or overlaps can be arranged as seen inFigure 10 where the cut 26' extends but half the width of the wall andthe other half width of the wall is extended as at 27 In either eventthe pliig 29 may be terminated at 28 or may extend into the other end asin29',

Figure 11.

These. forms-of joint are shown for the purpose merely of indicatingthat there are tact of the ring edges throughout the width of thecylinder than could otherwise be attained. Along with this I obtainby-product advantages due to the eifect of the explosion upon theflanges of the ring and the wiping of the oil from the interior of thecylinder to force it within the ring.

It will be obvious that my invention will suggest to others skilled inthe art different ways in which the invention may be practiced, tofollow the whim or preference of the designer or to avoid too closecopying of my invention; it is my purpose herein to include all suchother forms as follow within the reasonable spirit and scope of myinvention even though they may not secure it full advantage. v

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. In a piston ring, a hollow resilientmetal ring adapted to be seated within a groove around a piston, thesectional contour of the ring presenting four sides, one at each endaxially of the ring extending substantially radially of the piston andtwo, one of them uniting the. other two, extending substantiallylongitudinally of the piston, the sectional contour of the ring beingopen and the ring interior being adapted to fill with oil.

2. In a piston ring, a hollow resilient metal ring adapted to be seatedwithin a groove around a piston, the sectional contour of the ringpresenting four sides, two extending substantially radially of thepiston and two extending substantially longitudinally of the piston, oneof the latter bein open at the middle and flared from both sides towardthe middle.

3. In a piston ring, a hollow resilient ring adapted to be seated withina groove around a piston, the sectional contour of the ring having foursides, two extendingsubstantially radially of the piston and twoextending substantially longitudinally of the piston, one of thesubstantially longitudinally of the piston extending sides being flaredto contact with a cylinder wall and the ring being open adjacent theouter edge of the flarin side.

4. In a piston ring,-a hollow resilient metal ring adapted to be seatedvwithin a groove around a piston, the sectional contour of the ringhaving four sides, two extending substantially radially of the pistonand two extending substantially longitudinally of the piston, the openends of the ring mating in a scarf joint, having a portion of one sideat one end overlapping another portion of 5 the same side at the otherend, and the scarf being longitudinal of the piston, and a solid insertfilling the hollow of the ring at the joint. I 1

5. A piston grooved circumferentially to provideiloottom and side groovewalls and a hollow four-sided piston ring lying within the groove andhaving sides imperforate from edge to edge of its section and free toexpand into engagement with the side groove walls and whose interior isopen to the gas leakage pressure, whereby the leakage pressure isutilized to tighten the piston against the side walls of the pistongroove.

6. A hollow piston ring of thin resilient material having four sides incross section closing threeof the sides of a generally rectangularsection completely and partly closi'ng the fourth side, of such size assubstantially to fill the groove in the piton and the resilience makingits sides expansible with leakage gas pressure to fill the width of thepiston groove in a direction parallel to the length of the piston.

. CLIFFORD T. RAULE.

